CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum is a facial serum that helps bind moisture to your skin’s surface, smoothing it and providing up to 24 hours of hydration. It contains hydrating ingredients like sodium hyaluronate and panthenol, as well as ceramides that help to replenish the skin’s barrier function.
Not sure what these ingredients are or how they may benefit your skin? Our CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum review will discuss the science behind how these ingredients affect your skin. We’ll also share some CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum reviews so you can get a better idea of what customers really think about this product.
Who is CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum For?
CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum is recommended for those with normal to dry skin who would like to improve skin hydration and reduce dryness. The serum is non-comedogenic, so those with acne-prone skin can use this serum.
What Are The Key CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum Ingredients?
You might guess that hyaluronic acid is a key ingredient in CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum, but it’s actually not! The brand uses sodium hyaluronate in this formula, which is the sodium salt form of hyaluronic acid.
Sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid are basically the same, and the two names are used interchangeably in the skin care industry. The main differences are that sodium hyaluronate is more stable, easier to formulate, and cheaper. That’s why it is common to see sodium hyaluronate on an ingredient list even though the product name might say hyaluronic acid. Once applied to the skin, sodium hyaluronate provides the same benefits of hyaluronic acid. What are these benefits? Read on to find out!
Hyaluronic acid is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG), a long polysaccharide (sugar molecule) composed of disaccharides called amino sugars and uronic acid that is naturally found in the dermis. GAGs are negatively charged and thus tend to attract positively charged sodium and potassium ions. In turn, this causes the GAGs to absorb and hold a large amount of water.
In fact, hyaluronic acid is able to hold more water than any other natural substance—up to 1,000 times its weight in water! This is why using products with either hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate — like CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum — can help to improve skin hydration.
Did you know that hyaluronic acid can also help to improve signs of aging? Youthful skin retains its turgor, resilience, and flexibility due to its high content of water. According to the scholarly journal DermatoEndocrinology, the most dramatic histochemical change observed in aging skin is the marked disappearance of hyaluronic acid in the epidermis (the top layer of skin).
As the skin loses moisture due to both internal and external factors, it begins to show signs of aging, such as lines, wrinkles, sagging, and flaking skin. Since hyaluronic acid is the key molecule involved with skin moisture, it’s clear that a strong relationship exists between skin aging and levels of hyaluronic acid.
Due to these effects, CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum may help naturally reduce signs of aging by decreasing epidermal water loss associated with sun exposure, low humidity, and other external factors associated with skin dryness. The result is smoother, softer skin with decreased wrinkles and a more plump appearance.
Another hydrating ingredient in CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum is panthenol, also known as provitamin B5, which functions as a humectant. A humectant is a hygroscopic substance that has a molecular structure with several hydrophilic (water loving) groups.
Panthenol is composed of three hydroxyl (OH) groups and one amino (NH2) group. These groups hydrogen bond with water, essentially “grabbing” it and holding it on the skin. Humectants pull water from the dermis to the epidermis and stratum corneum. In addition, humectants can draw water vapor from the air to help moisturize the skin if the humidity is over 50 percent.
Lastly, like all CeraVe skin care products, the CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum contains essential ceramides that your skin needs to help restore and maintain its natural barrier. Specifically, the formula includes ceramide Np, ceramide Ap, and ceramide Eop. But what exactly are ceramides and how can they benefit your skin?
Ceramides are a family of waxy lipid molecules that are naturally produced by the skin and are vital in supporting the stratum corneum (outer layer of skin). The stratum corneum can be thought of as a “brick and mortar” system. The bricks are the corneocytes (dead skin cells) and the intercellular lipids (ceramides) represent the mortar.
Without ceramides, the skin barrier is weakened, just like without mortar a brick wall would be weak and unstable. The result is skin that can easily become dry, itchy, or irritated.
A properly functioning stratum corneum is essential for healthy skin as it maintains epidermal hydration and serves as a barrier that responds to environmental stressors, infections, irritants, and allergens. Applying products that contain ceramides — such as CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum — can help to replenish ceramide levels, thus restoring the skin’s natural barrier.
How to Use CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum?
Apply CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum evenly to your face and neck daily. It can be used alone or layered underneath a moisturizer.
Where to Buy CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum?
CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum and other CeraVe skin care products are not sold on the brand’s website. You must buy CeraVe skin care products on third party online retailers, such as Amazon, eBay, Ulta, and more.
CeraVe skin care products are also sold in physical retail locations throughout the United States, such as Walmart, Target, Walgreens, etc. CeraVe has a store locator on their website so you can find a location near you.
How Much Does CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum Cost?
The price of CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum will vary depending on where you buy this serum from. CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum is about $18.99 on Amazon.com and $19.99 on Ulta.com.
What is The CeraVe Return Policy?
CeraVe does not have a return policy on their website since they do not sell products on their website and, therefore, don’t accept returns.
Is CeraVe Cruelty Free?
CeraVe is not cruelty free. CeraVe is owned by L’Oréal, a company that tests on animals. L’Oréal does not conduct animal testing on their products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law. Since L’Oréal products are sold in China, they must test their products on animals by law.
Our Verdict
Overall, we think that CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum is a decent option if you have normal to dry skin. Although the ingredients in this formula are pretty standard, and you can find them in many other moisturizers.
Pros
- Formula contains a good mix of hydrating ingredients
- Fragrance-free
Cons
- Very basic ingredients that you can find in many other skin care products
- Many CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum reviews mention that the product pills
References:
1. Dermatoendocrinol. 2012 Jul 1; 4(3): 253–258
Lauren Original review: May 28, 2023.
but where do they recieve it from? animal products? wheat, corn, or soy industry? this explain how and why they use the compound but not where they derive it from, like what companies by product sre they recieving?